Sharks at Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers attempt to finish their final homestand of the season with a winning record when they take on the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Edmonton split the first two contests of its three-game stretch at Rexall Place, suffering a 4-0 loss to Calgary on Saturday before putting a major dent in Los Angeles' playoff hopes with a 4-2 triumph three nights later.
The victory halted a three-game skid for the Oilers, who are 15-22-3 on home ice. San Jose is kicking off a season-ending two-game road trip as it looks to avoid a third straight loss. The Sharks' quest for an 11th consecutive postseason appearance took a huge hit with their 5-3 setback at Arizona on Saturday and officially ended two nights later, when the club was eliminated with Winnipeg's victory over Minnesota before it dropped a 5-1 decision to Dallas in its home finale. The Pacific Division rivals split their first four meetings this season, with the Sharks winning twice at home and Edmonton prevailing once at Rexall Place and once in San Jose.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, CSN Plus California (San Jose), RSN360 (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE SHARKS (39-32-9): Barclay Goodrow won't be in the lineup against Edmonton, as he was assigned to Worcester of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. The 22-year-old right wing made his NHL debut this season, registering four goals and eight assists in 60 games. Fellow rookie Chris Tierney enters Thursday with a four-game point streak and has collected four tallies and six assists over his last 10 contests.
ABOUT THE OILERS (24-43-13): Edmonton recalled Laurent Brossoit from Oklahoma City of the AHL on Wednesday, and the 22-year-old goaltender is expected to start in his NHL debut. A sixth-round pick in the 2011 draft, Brossoit has posted a 22-21-4 record with two shutouts and a .916 save percentage in 49 games with the Barons this season. The Oilers also brought up left wing Curtis Hamilton for his first taste of the NHL while sending down netminder Richard Bachman, who went 3-0-0 with a shutout and a total of three goals allowed in his last three starts.
OVERTIME
1. The Sharks conclude their season Saturday at Los Angeles with the possibility of playing the spoiler, as the reigning Stanley Cup champion Kings may enter the contest with a playoff berth on the line.
2. Edmonton C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins did not practice Wednesday due to a lower-body injury and is questionable to face the Sharks.
3. San Jose C Joe Pavelski leads the team with 69 points, three more than C Logan Couture, and is second in the league to Washington's Alex Ovechkin (24) with 19 power-play goals.